Oil cooling arrangement in refrigerator system



Jan. 8, 1957 R. E. KING ET AL OIL COOLING ARRANGEMENT IN REFRIGERATOR SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1953 FIG. 2

FIG.|

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IN VEN TOR.

RALPH E.K|NG 8- EARL F. HUBACKER THEIR ATTORNEY Unite OIL COOLING ARRANGEMENT 1N REFRIGERATOR SYSTEM Ralpll E. King and Earl F. Hubacker, Erie, Pa., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New This invention relates to hermetically sealed'refrigerant compressors and, more particularly, to an oil cooling arrangement for hermetically sealed internally spring mounted compressors for household refrigerators.

Hermetic sealed compressors dissipate a large amount of heat that must be removed therefrom. One method of accomplishing this is by circulating a cooling medium inside the casing, However, this medium must then be cooled in order'for it to function satisfactorily as a cooling.

medium. One manner of accomplishing this is by passing the medium in heat exchange relation with the refrigerant being compressed.

Another problem with household refrigerators is to evaporate the condensate that drains from the interior of the refrigerator "cabinet. This condensate is sometimes evaporated by air passing over a pan in which the condensate has collected outside the cabinet.

Both'of these problems are satisfactorily solved by the present invention. Oil, which serves as the cooling medium in the present invention, is cooled by being passed in heat exchange relation with'a container having condensate from the refrigerator cabinet and thereby evaporating the condensate. Since the container is large and may be considered a fin of large area, the oil is also cooled by the ambient air, sothata more efiicient cooling of the oil is accomplished.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved oil cooling arrangement for a hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor.

An object of the invention is to cool the oil, which cools the motor of a hermetically sealed compressor, by evaporation of condensate from the interior of a refrigerator cabinet, and also provide cooling by air when no condensate is available.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for forcing cooling oil through a radiating surface by a difference in oil heads.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the combination of a hermetically sealed compressor and a refrigerator cabinet. The compressor includes a casing having .a sump disposed in the lower portion thereof. A memberis positioned in the bottom of the casing to divide the sump into two parts with the first part of the sump being a supply reservoir for a cooling medium and the second part of the sump collecting the cooling medium. The two parts of the sump are connected by a tube so that the cooling medium will flow from the second part to the first part by gravity. This tube is disposed outside of the casing and in heat exchange with a container to cool the cooling medium. The container receives condensate from the interior of the refrigerator cabinet and this condensate is evaporated by the cooling medium passing through the tube. The cooling medium is also cooled by the ambient air.

States Patent For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing,'in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view partly in section of a portion of a refrigerator embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal plan view of the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section of the compressor of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Fig. 1, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet 2 having an inner liner 3 and an outer casing 4 with suitable insulation 5 disposed therebetween. Condensate, which collects on bafiies or other suitable means in the interior 6 of the refrigerator cabinet 2, drains therefrom by means of the drain tube 7.

Disposed beneath the bottom of the refrigerator cabinet 2 is a hermetically sealed compressor 8. The compressor 8 includes a casing 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, in which there is disposed a motor 10 in the upper portion thereof. The lower portion of the casing 9 serves as an oil sump 14 for the oil that cools the motor 10. A member or partition 15 is disposed on the bottom of the easing 9 todivide the oil sump 14 into two parts or compartments so as to provide a difference in oil level therebetween. The part or compartment 16 of the oil sump serves to collect oil spilling from the motor 10 after it has cooled the motor. The part 17 of the oil sump serves as a supply reservoir forthe oil that is pumped to the motor by suitable means that are not shown. As oil is removed from part 17 and returned to part 16, during operation of the pump the oil level in part 16 will be higher than in part 17.

by gravity from the part 16 to the part 17 of the oil sump.

Since this tube 18 is disposed outside the casing, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the .oil will be cooled during its passagetherethrough-by the ambient air. In addition, a

container or pa1'1'25 is disposed above the oil tube 18 in heat exchange relation therewith. This container collects all the condensate that flows from the interior 6 of the refrigerator cabinet 2 by means of the drain tube 7. Therefore, when the oil passes through the tube 18 any condensate in the container 25 will be evaporated therefrom by the oil resulting in the oil being cooled. The container 25 may also be considered as a fin of large area so that the cooling of the oil in the tube 18 is accomplished by the ambient air when no condensate is available.

The oil is pumped to the windings of the motor 10 preferably by means of a small pump, not shown, to which the oil is supplied through the oil suction tube 26. The oil flows to the windings of the motor 10 by means of an oil spill tube 27. After passing over the windings of the motor 10, the oil returns to the part 16 of the oil sump 14-. Its heat is then dissipated by passing by gravity flow through the tube 18, the oil then entering the part 17 of the oil sump 14 to again be supplied to the windings of the motor. It will be understood that other suitable cooling medium with lubricating qualities could be employed 7 instead of oil, if desired.

in cooling the oil.

This invention has a particular advantage when em ployed with internally spring mounted compressors. In

internally spring mounted compressors, the compressor and all its components vibrate or move with respect to the casing. Thus, it is desirable to prevent the oil cooling systernfrorn being mechanically connected to the pump that supplies oilto the windings of th e motor when the oil cooling system is disposedoutside the casing as the oil cooling system is unable to move relative to the casing since it is fixed thereto. The present invention eliminates any mechanical connection between the oil cooling system and the oil pumpby dividing the sump into two parts to permit the oil to collect inone part at a higher level than in the other. part whereby oil flows from the collecting part to the other partthrough the oil cooling system by gravity.

While the present invention has been described by reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the invention.

We, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all Outside said casing, a container disposed above said tube in heat exchange relation therewith, and means to supply condensate from the interior of saidcabinet to said con tainer, said condensate evaporating when said oil passes casing, a container disposed above said tube in heat exchange relation therewith, and means to supply condensate from the interior of said cabinet to said container, said condensate evaporating when said oil passes through said tube to cool said oil.

3. In combination with :a refrigerator cabinet, a hermetically sealed compressor including a casing, a motor within said casing, a sump disposed in the lower portion of said casing containing oil for lubricating and cooling said motor, meansto divide said oil sump into two parts, the first, part ofsaid, sump being an oil supply reservoir, the second part of said sump collecting oil, an oil cooler disposed outside said casing with its inlet connected to said second part and its outlet connected to said first part to permit oil to flow y gravity from said second part to said first part, a container disposed in heat exchange relation with said oil cooler to cool said oil, and means to supply condensate from the interior of said cabinet to said container whereby said condensate will evaporate when said oil passes through, said oil cooler.

4. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet, a hermetically sealed compressor including a casing, a sump disposedjin the, lower portion of said casing, means to divide said sump into two parts, said sump holding a cooling medium, the firstpart of said sump being a supply reservoir for the cooling medium, the second part of said sump collecting the cooling medium, a tube connecting said parts of said sump topermit the cooling medium to flow by gravity from said second part to said first p'art, said tube being disposed outside said casing, a container disposed above said .tube in heat exchange relation therewith,,and means to supply condensate from the interior of said cabinet to said container, said coolingmedium being cooled when passing through said tube by air and evaporation of said condensate.

RefereneesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,054,403 Yaeger Sept. 15, 1936 2,238,170; Jensen Apr. 15, 1941 2,476,764 Rhilipp July 19, 1949' 2,492,611 Zearfoss Dec. 27, 1949 2,679,144 Grimshaw et al May 25, 1954 

